Si vous souhaitez vous lancer dans la permaculture, la spirale aromatique constitue un bon début !

This terraced garden, designed by Julian Tatlock Garden Design, made use of natural slopes to create a beautiful set of terraced plant beds.

Garnish Island garden, Ireland A captivating array of gardens of the conceptual, classical, abstract, contemporary, wild, natrural and sculptured designs. When the pink carnellia's start to bloom on my balcony and the magnolia and jasmine begin to bud, I know that spring is imminient and will soon make another grand entrance. The life affirming visuals and fragrances of renewal, revival and growth will be warmly embraced this year. Pink carnellias on my balcony. In Japan the camellia flower is known as 'Tsubaki' (early Spring) and symbolizes the divine, probably because of its exquisite lotus appearance. It

When we can’t be in our gardens, the next best thing is looking at gorgeous pictures of vegetable gardens to dream and plan for the season!

Diesen Sommer will ich unseren Garten mit einer schönen Kräuterspirale versehen. Das ist ganz schön viel Arbeit, aber ich freue mich scho...

Browse Archives of American Gardens images and explore collections guides.

Follow along on a spring visit to the charming Pickity Place in Mason, NH, for lunch, shopping, and a stroll in the garden. It's Little Red Riding Hood-approved!

It’s starting to inch closer to Spring here in Portland, OR. And by Spring I mean, it’s March but the weather is still 27° in the mornings and it’s supposed to snow next week, but…

On the weekend, we had a wonderful morning spent at the Ipswich Plant Expo. Most of the plants at the expo, were the same sort of sub-tropical plants we already have in our backyard. This top tier of our yard, will remain untouched until the time comes for us to put in our pool, however […]

Notions and musings for creating Witch themed gardens, Moon gardens, Elemental gardens, Astrological gardens, Gothic gardens, and more. Includes solutions for limited space and light.

This is great. BUT. #15 is a problem. There is no herb that would control my chronic condition and keep me sane and alive. Literally. Herbs are great for some things. Echinacea can help you fight off...

An insect hotel improves a garden's biodiversity and provides refuge for pollinators and pest controllers.

Planting herbs in your vegetable and flower beds works quite well, as long as you plant your herbs in sunny location with well-drained soil. But you can also de

These Creative DIY Herb Gardens for Any Space are so pretty and simple and there are great ideas for indoor or outdoor! Make your own herb garden and have fresh herbs all year long!

Just take a photo and share it with us!

In the first of a new series of profiles of craftspeople, Clare Foster meets Jay Davey, who creates bespoke garden structures from Somerset willow

I. Introduction II. Tea: Black, Oolong, and Green III. Herbal Flavors IV. Health Benefits V. Techniques of Preparation VI. Harvesting, Drying, and Storage VII. Growing Herbs in Houston I. Introduction So, what's all this about teas and why are they so dang healthy? As usual, it's all about the chemistry. You basic “Lipton's” tea is loaded with a number of beneficial chemicals with the main class being known as "flavoniods". Most flavonoids work as antioxidants which is just a fancy way of saying they get rid of the bad, highly-reactive molecules (aka free radicals) in your body. These free radicals would normally bounce around ripping apart other necessary molecules, which is a very bad thing. Getting rid of the free radicals greatly reduces molecular damage to your cells, which is a very good thing. If all you want to do is protect your molecules from destruction then regular tea is fine. However, why stop there? How about adding chemicals that can perk you up or make you relax, chemicals that can stimulate your immune system or settle down your stomach, chemicals that can reduces cramps or clear your sinuses of goo, maybe even extend your life? Yeah, they can do that and more. Let's learn more, shall we? II. Tea: Black, Oolong, and Green The most common teas (Black, Oolong, and Green) all come from the Camellia sinensis plant, originally from Asia. The difference between the three depends on how the leaves are treated after picking, mainly how much enzymatic breakdown they are allowed to undergo. This natural chemical process occurs as the leaves are dried and and once the proper level of breakdown has occur the leaves are heated to stop further breakdown. Green tea is the least “broken” of the teas and so maintains the highest concentrations of beneficial chemicals but has the weakest flavor by most Western standards. Oolong tea is partially broken giving it a richer flavor and a slight reduction in the chemicals we seek. Black tea is allowed to break down the farthest. This results in the richest taste but a reduction of many helpful chemicals except for the antioxidants. But even Black tea been shown to reduce the clogging of arteries, inhibit cancer growth, and fight some viruses! III. Herbal Flavors Besides the assorted health and wellness chemicals available in herbal teas (sect. IV), they offer a whole world of tastes. Mixing and matching these flavors is one of the great joys of herbal tea. SWEET Anise Licorice Stevia leaves Vanilla beans Yaupon holly leaves Blackberry/Dewberry leaves Raspberry leaves Apple fruit Peach fruit Hawthorn Strawberry leaves FLORAL Chamomile flowers & leaves Elderberry flowers Jasmine flowers Lavender flowers Basswood/Linden flowers Clover (white and red) Rose flowers Chrysanthemum flowers MINT Spearmint Peppermint Wintergreen Catnip Violet Basil Yerba Santa SPICY Allspice Cardamon Cinnamon Coriander Fenugreek Ginger CITRUS* Beebalm/Lemon balm Lemongrass Lemon peel Orange peel Lime peel Sorrel *Warning: the peel of store-bought citrus fruit may have been treated with fungicides or other potentially toxic compounds. Wash them thoroughly before use or purchase organically grown fruits. TART Rose hips Turk's cap flowers Hibiscus flowers Dock leaves LICORICE Anise Fennel Licorice Star Anise Goldenrod leaves & flowers EARTHY/ROOTY Dandelion root Burdock root Ginseng roots (flavor becomes bitter if left in water too long) Chicory root RESIN Rosemary Pine needles Thyme Sage Cloves BITTER Chicory root Ginseng roots (flavor becomes bitter if left in water too long) Yarrow flowers & leaves Willow twigs ARBORACEOUS Sarsaparilla roots Birch leaves Ginseng roots (flavor becomes bitter if left in water too long) Sassafras roots Burdock root Echinacea flowers Ephedra bark & twigs IV. Health Benefits Now it's time for the best part of herbal teas, the wonderful effects they can have on your body. Do you want to sleep or wake up? Are you suffering from a cold? Do you need your heart, or blood to function better? Do need to calm your stomach or your nerves? Yeah, there's a herb for that. HERBS FOR ENERGY Ginseng Yaupon holly (caffeine) Licorice Tumeric Chrysanthemum Ephedra HERBS FOR HEADACHES Mint Rose hips Rosemary Thyme Lavender Chrysanthemum HERBS FOR IMPROVED HEALTH Burdock root - blood purifier, antioxidants Cinnamon - improves circulation, may increase longevity Dandelion root - stimulates liver, flushes system Lemongrass - cleanses blood, liver and kidneys; reduces blood pressure Licorice - reduces congestion, improves focus Stinging nettle - cleanses blood, stimulates liver & kidneys Blackberry/Dewberry - high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; blood cleanser Rose hips - vitamin C, antioxidants Rosemary - improves liver action and blood circulation, improves memory Persimmon - vitamin C Sassafras - blood cleanser Hibiscus flower - antioxidants, control blood pressure, lowers cholesterol Red clover - antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, reduces bad cholesterol, thins blood Ginger - reduces morning sickness, reduces arthritis pain and other chronic pain Jasmine - antioxidants, lowers bad cholesterol, may fight cancer, boosts immune system Ginko Biloba – improves memory Chrysanthemum – lowers blood pressure, high in minerals Sage – blood purifier, improves liver, kidney, and brain functions, Thyme – reduces anemia Fennel – reduces pain Ginseng – improves immune system, lowers bad cholesterol, improves blood flow Hawthorn – strengthens heart tissue & blood vessels, lowers bad cholesterol Mint – strengthens immune system HERBS FOR CALM Chamomile Oatstraw Basil Valerian root Lemon balm St. John's Wort Lemongrass Ginseng Mint Sage Jasmine Licorice HERBS FOR STOMACH ILLS Burdock - reduces indigestion and constipation, increases bile production Cardamom - increases digestion, reduces gas Chamomile - reduces indigestion Cinnamon - reduces indigestion Cloves – aids digestion, reduces nausea Fennel - improves appetite, stimulates digestion, reduces gas Ginger - reduces nausea Lemongrass - improves digestion Mint - improves digestion, reduces nausea Licorice – improves digestion Blackberry/Dewberry - helps control diarrhea Sage - improves digestion Ginseng – increases appetite, helps digestion, cures diarrhea Yarrow - increases appetite, improves digestion Red clover - reduces gas Stevia - reduces heartburn Anise - reduces gas and indigestion Thyme – reduces gas Basil – reduces diarrhea Fennel – reduces gas, aids digestion HERBS FOR COLDS/FLU Burdock - reduces congestion, opens airways, reduces fever Elderberry - improves immune system Fennel - soothes sore throats, reduces coughing Ginger - soothes throat, opens sinuses, reduces fever Lemongrass - reduces fevers and other cold symptoms Licorice - soothes sore throats, reduces coughing Stinging nettle - reduces coughing, opens sinuses Black berry – soothes sore throat Sage – reduces, fever, congestion and coughing Strawberry leaves - slows diarrhea, reduces indigestion Thyme - reduces coughing and sore throats, strengthens immune system Yarrow - reduces congestion and other cold symptoms Red clover - expectorant Ephedra - reduces congestion Anise - expectorant, reduces congestion Cinnamon – reduces cold symptoms HERBS FOR WOMEN Cinnamon - reduces menstrual cramps Ginger - reduces menstrual cramps Lemongrass - reduces menstrual issues Licorice - reduces menstrual cramps Fennel – stimulates milk flow Motherwort - reduces PMS Blackberry/Dewberry - general menstrual aid Skullcap - reduces PMS mood swings Stevia - may help prevent osteoporosis Fenugreek – increases lactation Red clover - reduces symptoms of menopause due to estrogen mimicking molecules, not for use by pregnant women! HERBS FOR MEN Ginseng - improves blood flow to Mr. Happypants Ginko Biloba - improves blood flow to Mr. Happypants Ginger - improves blood flow to Mr. Happypants Hawthorn - improves blood flow to Mr. Happypants Blackberry/Dewberry - improves blood flow to Mr. Happypants V. Techniques of Preparation So now let's make the tea. There are a few things to keep in mind to optimize the release of power of your herbs. Being a chemist, I'm going to pull out the big words for this section. INFUSION This method is used for soft plant matter such as leaves, flowers, seeds, or crushed fruits/berries. Boiling water is poured over these materials which are then steeped for 10 to 30 minutes. The water is not brought back to a boil but rather it is allowed to slowly cool or heated to below boiling. The longer the herbs are soaked in this water the more flavor, nutrients, and medicinal compounds will be released. However, be careful with some bitter herbs as a long soaking of these can render the tea unfit to drink. DECOCTION To decoct means to add the woody herbs to boiling water which is then kept over heat and simmered 20-60 minutes. Roots, bark, and twigs need this more vigorous extraction. As before, the longer you soak the herbs the more you'll get out of them. If making a tea with both soft and woody components first boil the roots/bark/twigs then add the leaves/flowers/fruit and remove from heat. TINCTURE Extraction of herbal chemicals with alcohol makes a tincture. The basic rule of thumb is 300-400 grams of herbs are used per liter of alcohol. Let this mixture soak for at least two weeks with shaking every day. Some people leave the herbs in the alcohol others filter them out. Filtering them out makes for a cleaner tincture which I find easier to use. Vodka and rum (80-100 proof) are the alcohols of choice, with rum being better at disguising flavors of harsher herbs. To use, take one teaspoon of the tincture up to three times a day, either straight or added to juice or soda. WARNING: never use wood alcohol, rubbing alcohol, or methanol to make tinctures. VI. Harvesting, Drying, and Storage Okay, so know you know something about the health benefits and flavors of herbal teas, now lets learn about proper collecting and storing of your future tea. It's a pretty easy, but there are a few things you should know to make great teas. HARVESTING Now days it is easy to buy tea herbs off the internet or even in grocery stores. However, the fresher the better in most cases and the freshest will be the ones you grow yourself. The best time to harvest your herbs' leaves and flowers is mid-morning after any dew has evaporated but before the day's heat has a chance to really set in. Most of the flavor-producing compounds are produced by chemical reactions in the plant during the night. But these yummy compounds are easily evaporated out of the plant by the sun's heat so the later in the day you wait to pick them the less there will be of these tasty and beneficial chemicals. However if you pick the leaves/flowers while they still have a coating of dew there is a very good chance that they will mildew and turn to a mushy, useless mess during storage. The time of day is less important for heavier parts of the plant such as roots, twigs, and bark. The proper time to collect these are based more on the calender than on a clock. Late winter/early spring is usually the right time to collect twigs, roots and bark from trees as this is when they are starting to be flooded with life again after the cold, dark winter. This new life is the vitality you want to tap. On the other hand, the roots of flowers, shrubs, and non-tree-type plants are usually better in the fall. The plant has spent all summer turning sunlight into healthy nutrients and stuffing them into the roots for storage over the winter. Come spring these nutrients were to be used to regrow the plant but now you'll be harvesting that regrowth for yourself. DRYING and STORAGE A basic rule of thumb is the thicker the plant matter the thicker you can pile it on top of itself during drying. Leaves are best dried while still on the stems/stalks in bundles hung up in warm, dry areas out of direct sunlight. Remember, you don't want the good chemicals to evaporate away so warm with air circulation is better than hot or direct sunlight. If you have the room, store these bundles hanging somewhere dry. A layer of cheese cloth over them will keep the dust off them. Flowers should be removed from their stems and gently shaken to get rid of any bugs (though these bugs are a source of protein). Place them on a cookie sheets one layer deep and set them in a dry, warm place. Again, avoid hot areas or direct sunlight. Air gently passing over them with prevent mildewing, molds, or fungi from growing which are BAD for tea. Once dry, place the flowers in lidded, wide-mouth jars. Traditionally porcelain or amber-colored glass jars are preferred to reduce degradation of the herbs by light. Heavy materials such as roots, bark and twigs should be cut into strips approximately 4" long and no wider than your little finger, then loosely pile on a cookie sheet. As before, place them in a dry, warm area with moving air to dry them without losing any goodness. Twigs and uncut roots can be bundled and hung like your did earlier with the leaves. Bark and cut roots should be stored in the same manner as flowers. VII. Growing Herbs in Houston The most efficient way to grow herbs is in an “herb spiral”. This is simply a six foot wide by three foot high circular ramp of soil. Your herbs are planted along this ramp with their placement determined by their required growing conditions. Plants which need full sun are placed on the south-facing side of the spiral, full shade plants go on the north side. Partial sun/shade plants can go on the east or west sides. The top portion of the spiral dries quickly while the lower levels remain moist so plants that require well-drain soil are planted higher up and moisture-loving plants go in the lower levels. Table 1. lists common herbs and their growing conditions to assist you in planning your herb spiral. Figure 1. shows the basic layout of an herb spiral. Table 1. Common herbs Plant___Light___Water___Height____Width Anise....full sun....well drained....18”-24”....12” Basil....full sun....moist....18”-24”....12” Beebalm....partial sun....moist....24”-48”....12” Catnip....partial sun....well drained....12”-36”....12” Chamomile....any....dry....9”....varies Chrysanthemum**....full sun....dry....48”....24'-48” Coriander....sunny*....medium ....12”-36”.... 8” Echinacea....sunny....well drained....3'-4' Fennel....full sun....well drained....48”....24” Fenugreek....full sun....well drained....24” Ginger....partial sun....moist....24”....12” Hibiscus....full sun....moist....7'....5' Lavender....fun sun....well drained....36”....24” Licorice....full sun....well drained....36”....24” Peppermint....partial shade....moist....12”-24”....12”-24” Roses....partial sun...drained....varies Rosemary....full sun....well drained....72”....72” Sage....full sun....well drained....24”-36”....24”-36” Spearmint....partial shade....moist....12”-24”....12”-24” Stevia....full sun*....well drained 24”....8” Strawberry....full sun....well drained....12”....bed Violet....partial sun....moist....6”....bed Wintergreen....partial shade....moist....12”-24”....12”-24” Yarrow....full sun....well drained....24”-36”....10” Figure 1. Herb spiral Remember, the spiral should be at or over three feet tall at the center. It is watered from the top, allowing the water to flow down around the spiral. Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Trotting the garden path, sniffing blossoming herbs and spring flowers in Merlin’s own backyard double spiral labyrinth.

The aromatic nature of the mint family (Lamiaceae) come from their high levels of volatile oils, which also account for many of their medicinal properties.

Saul Nurseries in Atlanta and Alpharetta, Georgia, have supplied thousands of plants for area greenroofs, both extensive and intensive, including the Atlanta City Hall. The owners wanted to install a small test greenroof to trial appropriate plants for the hot, humid climate. In August 2003 an existing small 8 x 6.5' shade shelter was reinforced to hold the load of the 4" growing substrate. The substrate consists of ItSaul Natural products including the Mr. Natural Liteweight Soil Mix, Hen Manure Compost, PermaTill expanded slate, and a small amount of coarse sand.

Do you feel intimidated by growing your own herbs? Here’s how to start an herb garden with five healing, easy-to-grow herbs.

Sharing my love of all things vintage, and aged with the patina of time...

Design your herb garden by growing herbs in different permaculture zones. Herb Gardening ideas and plant lists for small or large herb gardens